A VERY WET TEST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 520, 29 May 1909, Page 5

A VERY WET TEST.

AUSTRALIA BATTING. THREE WICKETS DOWN FOR 30. WEATHER IMPROVES: PITCH' SOFT..' (Bl MLIORAPn— TBESB iBBOOIATJON—OOnItIUUT.I London, May 27. ' 'Tie first Test match at Birmingham was so interfered wfyh by rain:that very,little progress was made. Noble won tho toss, and oleoted'to bat, and at drawing of stumps to-day Australia had lost two wickets for 21 runs. / '.. ."■ ■'. .-'■ ,'-. ■ '.'..' • . Dronohing'rain fell till 1 o'clock; Itispco tions of tho grouud were made at 4'.ana . 4.30, and it was '■■, arranged to! start at' P o'clock if no rain fell in the interval. I'lay 'commenced. shortly .after; 5. ■-. Tie Homo team was composed as follows :— MaoLarbn (captain); Fry, Jones, Jeeßop, Liliey, Hirst, iThmripson, Tyldcsl.ey, Blyiho, Hobbs, and Rhodes. M'Alistcr, Lavery Hopkinß, Carkeck, and Hartigan \vero omitted from tho Australian team. .: ".'• ,"., ■ ..'■'•'■' ■'■ •. ' '■'■■■ ■ Sawdust In, Requisition. ['■'. < ( Hirst and Blytho oponed tho attack against Oottor and Bardsley. , ,. Colter,. after. making a couple in tho second over, dropped an easy batch into Hirst's himds ; "at mid-off from Blytho.. Tlio first wicket fell for 5 runs, Tlio vrick'et was of tho softest, ■ and' a plentiful supply .of sawdust was requisitioned.:.,, ;

Armstrong filled tho vacaucjs In tho fifth y over Bardsley was taken nicely by MapLarcn at slip, : kft-handod, off Hirst. Two for 7. ! Trumpcr. succeeded Bardsley. . . . •' Play 6topnod by Dusklnsss. After tho mate!] had been in progress ft dhort tinie, play had; to bo stopped - owingto, tho dusky condition of, tho weather. :Tlio players camp out again at 0, but at 6.15 (he light was appealed against, and play elided, /or tho day. ....'■ .... ■ '•■■'.'•'■ ■/• ■ Except" for tho, bad light, , tho,.weather .to-. wnrds tho doso, was fine, but thowioket was soft. .Tho attendance numbered- 4000;;; ■'■•',<:■■' V YESTERDAY'S PLAY. > v TRtJMPER WAS BLYTHE'S SECONT) V V; ')-■-, ■:■ ' '-VICTIM.. ,'.-.• ',';.: : ;.;": : ;: •..'.' (Rec. May 29, -1.6 a.m.)- v' ".; -,•■'■'.','■■'.-.-■' t ■';■•■■ London, May 28. ,■•; . For.tho. resumption of the,T«rt .match to-; day, tlio weatJior .'.'wai' siiiiny. Tlio . wiokot .■ was still'soft, .--':'/ -. '.'.'■ .''.:' The third'wicket fellat 30. .'Trumpor; sent up an "easy catch off ißlyUio. to Hirst ai; midoff iu tho third ovor. '-' .; '■'■ -.V:.': ' .".- Armstrong is not out with' 16. The scores, are:—:'.'''. '■'■'"'' ■'''.-•". "..■■■:' ■'. ■ ; ~;. '.. ; •'■'. ;. : .':/:■ AUSTRALIA.- ' . ' ,j' .;■ " ■■•■■■ ".';'■.':V, FinST Ir*NiNop.- ,i;' :, . '"■ -:■ v Cotter, o.\Birati'b.--iljrthoi'..-''. ,:-... ,i,.. '3 ' Bardsloy, c^MaoLaron, , b. Hirst,... ... ! ' : 2 Armstrong, udt out.';.- '~; . ' ..v '■]..'. IS.-.•. Triimpor, p. Hirst, b.:Blytho ..'.. .-:>.'..'■ 10 [.'.'"';■ Sundries ■ ;■...-:■.'„,':•...„;... ;I ;.;'.:, '.Total for.two wickets,' ~..; •■' i,, 30,. '1 ;i; A MUD SCRAMBLE; ! -, V ' '.The first Test of tho 1902'tour,was spoilt bv- , tain on May 20, 30, and, 31i ,l ond ; a(tain this ; y6ar the gome has.been interfered with. What ' a farce if is to leatrict play'in a Tost;:matoh .to ''three, days 1.-' -Tho ..Australian, fixtures nre i' eubordinate to tho intev-Mmty ma)ches with .the exception of tho fifth feslywhcn the tfame Iri to bo played out if tho'ruuber ia not dodded. .Tlie,present Test points to a drawn tfftnio,' 1 which- is not satisfactory to the publlo and the players. Tho English, team contains I tlio .wet wicket, bdjvlorsy Blytho and Rhodes, who li'avo been choseii °in, proforenco to Btearley, 'Belf, and Gilbert,. ,Hobbg, another, player; : who'oan inakb runs on'a soft' wicket, has boon selected before T.v Hayward, 1 . who. it is more ' tlifth probnbloha'B: not fully recovered' from , ' his recent >'■ strain, in . tho Surrey match. O'Connor, Whitty, ; and,Armstrong, are a'.wtirm trie'''to work for: the Australians when the > ■tvic'kotis not '.a' batsman's deli'ght. . ■'-■/.;•

BLYTHE'S FORM. London, May 27. Blytho—who, as a member of the English i ' Test team hue alroady secured two wickets— I got a remarkable average in both inidnga of ' tho Kent-Northamptonshire match, taking 14 , Northamptonshire wickota for 75 rune,